Introducing: The American Climbing Journal, with Editor Matt Samet

In this episode of the American Alpine Club Podcast, host Hannah Provo sits down with Matt Samet, the newly appointed managing editor of the American Climbing Journal (ACJ), a groundbreaking new publication launched in 2026 to document the year's most significant rock climbing achievements. Samet, a climbing veteran with 40 years of experience and 25 years in climbing media, explains that the ACJ fills a critical gap left by the decline of print climbing magazines. Unlike online content that’s fragmented and transient, the ACJ serves as a permanent, curated 'journal of record' for rock climbing—covering hard sport climbing, bouldering, traditional climbing, big walls, and access victories from across the U.S. and globe. The journal emphasizes first-person narratives from climbers themselves, offering deep dives into the stories behind major ascents, such as Adam Ondra’s E11 flash on Lexicon, Julian’s first female ascent of the Platinum Wall, and Katie Lamb’s historic V16 climb on The Dark Side. Samet also discusses the editorial philosophy of preserving authentic voices, avoiding heavy-handed editing, and the challenges of defining 'significance' in real time. He reflects on how the ACJ could have preserved forgotten milestones like Mark Hudon and Max Jones’ pioneering free climb on El Cap, and how it now provides a trusted, fact-checked archive in an era of unreliable AI-generated climbing history. The inaugural edition will be available to AAC members at the Partner, Leader, or Advocate level, with a special signed hardcover edition featuring Adam Ondra.